


Intro to First Contact

by lodessa



Category: Star Trek: Discovery
Genre: Academy Era, F/M, First Kiss, Fluff, I Had To Go Way Back To Make Them This Innocent, Lorca Buddy You've Got It Bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-09
Updated: 2018-01-09
Packaged: 2019-03-02 13:42:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 535
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13319370
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lodessa/pseuds/lodessa
Summary: It’s this wonderful combination of painfully self aware and at the same time fearless, that makes her more interesting to him than the lot of them.





	Intro to First Contact

**Author's Note:**

  * For [cool_veggiesword](https://archiveofourown.org/users/cool_veggiesword/gifts).



“Do **you** think they like me?” 

Gesturing to the flock of legacy cadets from their Intro to First Contact class, clearly visible standing together in the courtyard below, Kat almost dares him to lie. It’s this wonderful combination of painfully self aware and at the same time fearless, that makes her more interesting to him than the lot of them.

“I like you so it doesn’t matter.” 

It’s equal parts evasion and soul bearing, an unwillingness to admit that yes she’s right about how her incisive questioning in every class discussion isn’t winning her many friends, but also an impulse to confess that to him nothing could be more enthralling.

Normally he’d play it cool or charming, wink and tease the girl, but so far that’s only earned him eyerolls with her. It’s more than that, though. Kat isn’t just some girl in his class.

“Wait what?” There’s a certain satisfaction watching how little she expected it, like she was halfway to responding to his anticipated quip before she realized he he was saying something else entirely.

She studies him anew, curious and a little sceptical, but also intrigued. 

“What?" he strugs, “It’s not like its some big secret. I mean I’ve been following you back to your dorm after class all semester.” 

He has, and if it were some other girl he’d have made his move or moved on by now, but there’s something about the way Kat’s nose scrunches right before she laughs and the way her hair is always finding a way to fall free of that haphazard way she twists it back with her PADD stylus. Okay, it’s more than that. If he’s honest, Gabriel has more fun just studying with Kat than doing anything else with any other person around.

“I thought you just wanted to borrow my notes,” she suggests, and he almost thinks she’s not faking the clueless modesty for a moment before she cracks that wry smile.

“You don’t take any notes,” he points out with a grin, “You’re too busy calling everyone out on their bullshit, including the instructor.”

“I don’t need to take notes when I have yours,” she laughs, “Or did you not know that was what I was using you for?”

“I thought it was just to annoy your roommate,” he teases.

“I like you too,” she shakes her head, voice lowering, leaning forward a little from where she’s sitting cross legged on the bed towards him.

“Clearly you’ve got shit taste in men.”

He reaches out and tucks a stray piece of hair back behind her ear, knowing this is his moment, but almost afraid to change things from this holding pattern they’ve been in. Though he’s not sure whether it’s losing whatever this is he fears, or being on the other side of her sharp tongue and incisive mind.

“Kiss me already,” she parries, “Or I’m going to decide you really aren’t interested after all.”

He leans in, placing his hands palms down on next to her knees on the bed. 

“Definitely interested,” he rumbles, just before they run out of space between them. 

Kat goes straight for the kill. He takes the bait. To think, he almost passed on this.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for cool_veggiesword who sent me the request: "If you're still accepting Discovery prompts, would you consider doing Lorca x Cornwell for “Do you think they like me?” “I like you so it doesn’t matter.” “Wait what?” “What?" Thanks so much! "
> 
> Sorry it took me forever to write you 500 words.


End file.
